We are not part of the KKK group, say Kalenjin leaders

By Mathew Ndanyi

The leaders from the Kalenjin community have distanced themselves from the KKK alliance. The leaders from the Marakwet, Keiyo, Pokot and Samburu sub-tribes said they are not part of the alliance and accused Eldoret North MP William Ruto of using the Kalenjin community for his own political benefits.

Twenty community leaders from the Marakwet community led by Samwel Chemweno and John Simba said their community is not party to the alliance that Ruto had been endorsed to be spokesman of the Kalenjin community.

“We will not accept to be swayed around like puppets. We as the Marakwets have never been part y to any talks where it was decided that members of the Kalenjin community should follow a certain political direction,” said Chemweno.

Simba, an official of the Marakwet professionals Association accused Ruto of dragging the entire community into his own arrangements without consulting other leaders.

Elsewhere, youth from the Keiyo community said they are not ready to be drawn into tribal alliance which will only marginalize the community politically.

The group led by Paul Kibet said the same leaders who had asked the Kalenjin to join ODM en masse have now changed their political stand and want the community to follow suit without questions.

“Some of the MPs are busy misusing the term Kalenjin to mean all of us are part of their schemes. When they joined ODM,only one sub-tribe benefitted from the government appointments but when it comes to sorting out their own problems we all become Kalenjins,” said Kibet.

He told Ruto he was being used to endorse unfair distributing of government appoinmtments.Kibet asked why no one from the Kalenjin community had been appointed to a senior government position yet Ruto claims to be a friend to PNU stalwarts.Retired President Moi has also strongly opposed the KKK alliance which he has termed as tribal grouping.

Source:  
The Star, Rift Valley news, Wednesday,January 26,2011 Page 12